Speeding Car Crashes into Casino in Nevada

A speeding car crashed through the entrance of a casino and into a bank of slot machines Wednesday in the southern Nevada resort town of Laughlin, killing two patrons and injuring at least eight other people, authorities said.

The 70-year-old driver told investigators he fainted while driving toward the Edgewater Hotel & Casino on the Colorado River waterfront, Las Vegas police Officer Jacinto Rivera said, according to the Associated Press.

Driver Walter McGie, 70, of Kelso, Wash., was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of two counts of reckless driving causing death, said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which patrols much of Clark County. The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol had been ruled out as a factor in the crash.

Joe Magliarditi, the casino's chief operating officer, was told that the driver's speed topped 60 mph and that he made no obvious effort to stop. Everything happened so quickly that some gamblers initially thought the casino's roof had caved in, Los Angeles Times reports.

The Phoenix resident said she was about 20 feet from the front doors when she caught a glimpse of the silver car that came barreling through.

She heard screams and raised an arm to shield herself from flying debris. When she put her arm down and opened her eyes, she saw that the car had plowed through rows of slot machines. She saw at least four people sprawled on the floor, Las Vegas Review – Journal informs.